Kellum's Late Layup Ends Back And Forth Affair At New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (2/10/10) - In a game chocked full of runs, it was the North Texas women's basketball team that had the final answer in a 70-64 win at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

NEW ORLEANS (2/10/10) - In a game chocked full of runs, it was the North Texas women's basketball team that had the final answer in a 70-64 win at New Orleans on Wednesday night.

Tied at 62 with 1:20 left in the game, NT's Denetra Kellum drove the left baseline, drawing a foul while hitting a tough layup. Her ensuing free throw as well as a pair from Brittney James put the game out of reach for the Privateers, and ended NT's four-game skid.

North Texas (7-18, 4-10 Sun Belt) and New Orleans (9-16, 3-11 Sun Belt) both reeled off multiple double-digit streaks in the crucial Sun Belt affair. And while NT didn't have the largest run, it did have the most meaningful - a 12-0 run early in the second half that the Privateers would never overcome.

Jasmine Godbolt powered the Mean Green offense with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting in NT's final trip to New Orleans as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Privateers are slated to begin the transition to Division III next year.

A see-saw opening frame saw the Mean Green open the game with a 12-0 advantage thanks to six quick points from Caitlin Hawkins.

That's when UNO responded with a 20-3 run of their own that had NT on its heels until James and Godbolt answered with a pair of old fashioned 3-point plays.

Godbolt tied the game at 25 apiece with just over three minutes left in the half when she hauled in a skyward offensive rebound, and drew a foul on the putback. The freshman hit the off-balance layup and the free throw to breathe life back into the Mean Green's game.

James had a look at the go-ahead jumper at the buzzer, but her effort hung on the rim and rolled out. NT went into the break down, 28-27.

The Mean Green returns to action in a Super Pit double-header against Denver on Saturday. The ladies tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the North Texas men at 7 p.m.